Sojourner Truth Radio

Today, for May Day, workers around the world and are marking the day with marches. In the United States, marchers are protesting against Trump, for the rights of immigrants and against deportations, for higher wages and more. Our guest is Cliff Smith with the Roofers Union Local 36.

Today is May Day, traditionally considered International Workers Day. Workers around the world and are marking the day with marches. In the United States, marchers are protesting against Trump, for the rights of immigrants and against deportations, for higher wages and more. Our guest is Cliff Smith with the Roofers Union Local 36.

But first: the caravan of asylum seekers from Central America "who have drawn the ire of the Trump administration "have reached the U.S.-Mexico border. Thus far, eight of them have been granted asylum, and eleven people said to be part of the caravan have been criminally charged by the Department of Justice for entering the country illegally. Our guests are Tanya Selig, who crossed the border to cook for the migrants; and National Lawyers Guild members Gilbert Saucedo and Pasquale Lombardo, who were part of a legal team that crossed the border to work with the migrants.

On our weekly roundtable:

History has been made at the summit of North and South Korea, where leaders made a joint call for an end of the Korean war. The Summit was a public relations coup for both President Moon Jae-in of South Korea and especially for Kim Jong-un, Supreme Leader of North Korea. But what will all this mean when and if Trump meets with Kim Jong-un? How will he react to experts' interpretation of the joint Koreas call for denuclearization – which could mean a withdrawal of U.S. troops from South Korea?

President Macron of France was wined and dined by Trump this week. The two presidents held hands and blew kisses, but then Macron went for Trump’s jugular in his speech before U.S. Congress, where he outlined ten areas where he differs from Trump. Meanwhile, Angela Merkel, President of Germany, arrives on Friday to meet with Trump. She will not be met with state dinners and other niceties, reflecting the tensions between her and Trump. And, former CIA director Mike Pompeo was approved by Congress as Trump’s new Secretary of State. He immediately flew to Europe for a NATO meeting. What does all this portend for EU and US relations?

Teachers in several red states continue their rebellion, which has now spread to Arizona and Colorado, following West Virginia, Kentucky and Oklahoma.

Weighing in on all of these topics are our panelists: Laura Carlsen, Jackie Goldberg and Dr. Gerald Horne.

Thirty-year-old Grechario Mack, a Black man, was shot and killed by police in the crowded Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall in Los Angeles. Police were called after he was seen allegedly holding a knife and acting unsteadily. He was buried yesterday. We speak with his father, Quintus Moore.

A new ruling from a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia is the latest hit on Donald Trump's rescission of DACA, the program put in place by President Obama to offer some protection for children brought without into the country without papers. The judge ruled that not only must these protections stay in place, but also that the Trump administration must accept new applications. But the chipping away of immigrants' rights continues: with Trump referring to immigrants south of the border as "breeders" and Greyhound buses allowing border patrol agents to board and ask passengers for proof of citizenship. Our guest is David Loy, Legal Director at the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties.

We continue our series on the Poor People's Campaign, a project first introduced by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, who was assassinated months after he announced it. It has been restarted by the Reverends William Barber and Liz Theoharis. The revived campaign kicks off actions in 41 states on May 14, the day after Mother's Day. Recently, the campaign issued a comprehensive report called "The Souls of Poor Folk." Our guest is the Institute of Policy Studies' Sarah Anderson, a co-author of the report.

A new ruling from a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia is the latest hit on Donald Trump's rescission of DACA, the program put in place by President Obama to offer some protection for children brought without into the country without papers. The judge ruled that not only must these protections stay in place, but also that the Trump administration must accept new applications. But the chipping away of immigrants' rights continues: with Trump referring to immigrants south of the border as "breeders" and Greyhound buses allowing border patrol agents to board and ask passengers for proof of citizenship. Our guest is David Loy, Legal Director at the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties.

We continue our series on the Poor People's Campaign, a project first introduced by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, who was assassinated months after he announced it. It has been restarted by the Reverends William Barber and Liz Theoharis. The revived campaign kicks off actions in 41 states on May 14, the day after Mother's Day. Recently, the campaign issued a comprehensive report called "The Souls of Poor Folk." Our guest is the Institute of Policy Studies' Sarah Anderson, a co-author of the report.

Thirty-year-old Grechario Mack, a Black man, was shot and killed by police in the crowded Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall in Los Angeles. Police were called after he was seen allegedly holding a knife and acting unsteadily. He was buried yesterday. We speak with his father, Quintus Moore.

In what even the New York Times is calling an "epidemic of wrongful convictions in America," we examine the impact of race and racism in the criminal justice system. Our guest is USC Professor of Law Jody Armour.

Mexico City-based journalist Laura Carlsen joins us for in-depth discussion on the recent Summit of the Americas, held in Peru, which received little coverage in the mainstream media. We also discuss the latest on anti-government protests in Nicaragua, the upcoming Presidential election in Mexico, and more news from Latin America.

In what even the New York Times is calling an "epidemic of wrongful convictions in America," we examine the impact of race and racism on the criminal justice system. Our guest is USC Professor of Law Jody Armour.

But first: an in-depth discussion on the recent Summit of the Americas, held in Peru, which received little coverage in the mainstream media. We also discuss the latest on anti-government protests in Nicaragua, the upcoming Presidential election in Mexico, and more news from South of the Border with Laura Carlsen.